First time aquascape with shelf rock - help

[newfly]

Need some feedback here. This is my first attempt. Not really satisfied with this scape, but I can't really put a finger on exactly what.

I haven't apply any glue/mortar. I'm thinking to separate the 2 section ( currently joined as shown in the first pic) to create a gap in the middle. The tank is 48x16. Current width of the scape (with both section touching) is about 30 inch. Depth is 13 inches.

I will also have 4-5 pieces of live rock that i will transfer from my existing tank. Those rock will be an island. I also ordered more nano shelf rock ( same shelf rock, but smaller size) to allow me to put them in btw the larger pieces to create more gap and increase the height of the scape.

So far, i have 25lb of marco shelf and 20lb of foundation rock. I did not break the large pieces. Should i? The old rock should be 15-20lb, and another 8lb of nano shelf on order. Total ~70lb of rock for 55g DT. I'm planning on going bare bottom. Is this amount of rock sufficient?

Any feedback is much appreciated. I have only spend 1hour or so monkeying with these rock.

 

[sp1187]

need a pic looking straight down.
also, what do you plan to have coral/fish wise?

 

[newfly]

Here is the top down pic.

Corals wise, i love to have Monti digi and cap, torch, frogspawn, and zoas.

Fish - 5-7 chromis, 1 dottyback, yellow tang, and flame angel

 

[Weasel1960]

First keep 2”-3” from all your glass so you have room to clean after your corals start filling in. Based on the dimensions in you thread you need to adjust front to back and you have room to spread out left to right.

Second you are using a lot of flat pieces and stacking them like bricks. Consider having each piece run at a different angle as you stack them. That will give you more shelf space for corals.

Third fish and inverts like to hide in nook and crannies, caves.

Lastly consider a boulder on the right stack for some mass and using a flat rock out front for an island.

All are mere suggestions to mix and match with.

 

[newfly]

First keep 2”-3” from all your glass so you have room to clean after your corals start filling in. Based on the dimensions in you thread you need to adjust front to back and you have room to spread out left to right.

Second you are using a lot of flat pieces and stacking them like bricks. Consider having each piece run at a different angle as you stack them. That will give you more shelf space for corals.

Third fish and inverts like to hide in nook and crannies, caves.

Lastly consider a boulder on the right stack for some mass and using a flat rock out front for an island.

All are mere suggestions to mix and match with.

thank you! I'll rework this. Stacking them at different angle is a good idea.

 

[Weasel1960]

Never hurts to try other options doing something similar outside in my landscaping. I always take pictures of it from front and as I take it apart so I can receipt if I want to.

Good thing digital film is cheap...LOL

 

[sp1187]

Weasel1960 is spot on with suggestions.
only thing I have to add is rotate the front corners towards front center.
right now you are only working left/right and up/down.
work front/back to add depth perception.

 

[newfly]

OK folks, round 2. I brake the bigger rock into several smaller pieces.

Any suggestions is much appreciated. I still have ~8lb of smaller shelf rock on the way. I might not use all of them.

 

[newfly]

Notice the scape is only 6 inch high. The tank is 17 inch. Should i go higher? I'm using most of the floor space, leaving abt 2 inches from the glass.

 

[sp1187]

I go high, like breaking the water high, to hide pumps, overflows, chords and heaters.

 

[fishguy242]

hi,use the 8# you have coming to try to raise height ,leaving gaps between shelves

 

[Weasel1960]

Agree with both @sp1187 and @fishguy242. Check out aquascaping videos on Bulk. Reef Supply website for Rule of Thirds when building higher also look at @Queenofreef videos on YouTube for some tips and suggestions.

Its getting there, just keep dialing it in.

 

[drtechno]

Also get some stair steps going. Variable depths. One idea that I liked from one of the build threads was putting a shelf just one or two inches above the sand, suspended. Or jutting out of the sand at an angle. I think if you decrease the volume of rock and the overall bulk it might be closer to what you like?
Edit- your round 2 definitely looks a lot better. More depth and more interesting. Maybe try some space where you don’t do anything (negative space) along the sand and then jut some crags out of it?

 

[attiland]

I would try to break it to 2 or more set. So there is a path in between them but in an angle so you can’t see the back glass.

 

[newfly]

Also get some stair steps going. Variable depths. One idea that I liked from one of the build threads was putting a shelf just one or two inches above the sand, suspended. Or jutting out of the sand at an angle. I think if you decrease the volume of rock and the overall bulk it might be closer to what you like?
Edit- your round 2 definitely looks a lot better. More depth and more interesting. Maybe try some space where you don’t do anything (negative space) along the sand and then jut some crags out of it?

Agree with both @sp1187 and @fishguy242. Check out aquascaping videos on Bulk. Reef Supply website for Rule of Thirds when building higher also look at @Queenofreef videos on YouTube for some tips and suggestions.

Its getting there, just keep dialing it in.

I would try to break it to 2 or more set. So there is a path in between them but in an angle so you can’t see the back glass.

Thank you guys. I will wait for more smaller nano pieces and see what i can do with the suggestions. I prefer to use less rock and have more negative space, but on the other hand, I'm worried not having sand (going bare bottom) and small amount of rock may not be enough to support a healthy bacteria population. I have an AIO tank, no external sump. I don't have the luxury to put a bunch of rock in the sump to compensate.

Any guidelines of lb of macro rock needed for bare-bottom tank to support medium bioload. If i use every piece of rock i bought plus the few pieces i have now in my 15G, i'll have close to 70lb. I am hoping to use ~50lb. Is this sufficient?

Calculating bioload is another puzzle. For 65g total volume, ~55g DT, i plan to have

5-7 green chromis
Yellow eye Kole tang
Neon Dottyback
Flame Angel

Is this medium or heavy bioload?

For filtration, filter socks, 1/2gallon of matrix and tunze 9004 dc skimmer. That's about all the rear sump can fit.

 

[newfly]

Found a video on BRS showing the BRS160 aquacape. I can emulate the scape.

On the other hand, here is round 3. I am not artistic and this is stressing me out more than it should be. Questions is this current layout, or emulate the BRS scape? I include the pic of the BRS scape for reference (the first pic).

Ignore the unused pile or rock at the corner.

 

[attiland]

Found a video on BRS showing the BRS160 aquacape. I can emulate the scape.

On the other hand, here is round 3. I am not artistic and this is stressing me out more than it should be. Questions is this current layout, or emulate the BRS scape? I include the pic of the BRS scape for reference (the first pic).

Ignore the unused pile or rock at the corner.

I really like this one

 

[Weasel1960]

While it’s great to use the BRS video as a tool, make your scape for you. What you have this time really looks good. My only suggestion now is to take the right side island pull it forward and give the back a quarter turn clockwise and add a flat island at the left if you can. This will give it more depth. Be mindful of cleaning glass and sand. Both thumbs up.

 

[newfly]

While it’s great to use the BRS video as a tool, make your scape for you. What you have this time really looks good. My only suggestion now is to take the right side island pull it forward and give the back a quarter turn clockwise and add a flat island at the left if you can. This will give it more depth. Be mindful of cleaning glass and sand. Both thumbs up.

Than you for the suggestions. I will try to incorporate the tips. My tank is only 16" wide, so not really much room to play with. The current scape as-is is about 12/13"" at the widest point. Any wider, i'll have too little clearance to the glass.

In hind sight, i should have gotten a wider tank. I think it will look much better. Anyhow, i am happy enough with this setup.

Thanks you all for the feedback. It was really helpful in refining the scape. I like the latest scape, and will start gluing the rock and then start the cycle in a tub. In ~1month, the tank should be here and i'll have an instant tank! Going with BB so no sand.

 

[newfly]

If anyone looking for a business idea especially if you're good with aquascape, post a bunch of different aquascape and you can sell the actual rock kit with small pieces pre-glue. I'm sure some folks may be wiling to pay extra for the pre-made scape. at one point i was about to give up and just buy a kit from aquaRoche but they are very expensive.